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Session Details
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| Guest Name |
Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shah
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Member of the Executive Committee of the Fiqh Council of North America and the Religious Director of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee
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| Subject |
General Fatwa Session
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| Date |
Sunday,Dec 9 ,2007
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Time |
Makkah
From...
01:00...To...
06:30
GMT
From... 22:00...To...03:30
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Host
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| Answer |
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Brothers and sisters, the session has already started. You can submit your questions. Please, make your questions short and clear so as to help us answer all your questions.
Yours,
Islam Online Fatwa Editing Desk.
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Ahmed
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As-Salamu`alaykum, I am expecting a new baby in the coming week or so insha’Allah. I want to make sure that I follow the proper Sunnah related to the birth of a baby. While I know all the rituals, I am hesitant to shave his head just because I am afraid that I will hurt him since I have no experience doing that. My wife is more afraid than I am and insisting on shaving the baby’s head might lead to a problem in the household amidst what is supposed to be a happy occasion. Is it possible to avoid shaving his head while remaining faithful to this Sunnah. For example, can we estimate the weight of the baby’s hair, find out how much it costs in terms of gold or silver and donate the equivalent in cash? If yes, did the scholars specify an agreed on estimation for the weight of a baby’s hair? Jazaka Allah Khairan.
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Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
The Sunnah of cutting the hair on the seventh day is also scientifically proven to be good for the hair growth of the child. The baby had lived with this type of hair in mother’s womb for several months with all the chemicals present in the womb, and shaving the baby’s hair guarantees the proper growth of the hair and it is quiet safe to cut the hair on the seventh day as the head skin becomes quite strong and capable of shaving on the seventh day. You could seek assistance of a barber or a better trained person in your family and get it down. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would not recommend something which is against the well-being of a baby. Moreover, the baby’s skin is very self-protecting and it heals immediately even if there were any minor scars. Therefore, don’t worry and get it down on the seventh day or afterwards because it is good for the health of the baby.
Specified weight for the hair is not fixed; it is just a charity and it is an expression of gratitude for Allah for the safety of the newborn.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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haikel
- United States
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student and factory worker
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As-Salamu`alaykum, Dear Sheikh I’m married to a Christian woman; she is nice to me but she is not beautiful and she is overweight I actually don't enjoy sexual relation with her at all, and I’m not happy at all. I’m scared that I may go outside and do something sinful like have intercourse with another woman or keep masturbating. The problem is when I thought of divorcing her I find out that she is pregnant what should I do ,should I wait until she gives birth and divorce her? Am I going to be held responsible for the baby if he is raised as a Christian?
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Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Marriage is a very sacred covenant and a person must do his or her homework before taking such a significant step. Marriage is also more than just the external beauty or issues of appearance like weight; it is a bond between two individuals to help each other reserve their modesty and their faith. In your case, you should help your wife to lose weight and try to beautify herself so that you can start having positive feelings towards her. Most significantly, there is another life involved, and that is your child. If you divorce her at this stage, she will always remember this as an act of cruelty and she will use the child to exact revenge of you. The child will hate you and she might end up converting the child to non-Islamic faith traditions just to hurt your feelings. That will be a continuous torture which will take away all joys and amusement from your life. I will strongly recommend that you show patience, work with her, and work on your relationship with her, and continuously make the du`a’: O Allah, bless us with mutual love, and give harmony to our progeny and guide us to the path of righteousness and security.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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muslima
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urgent reply needed
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As-Salamu`alaykum, please reply because I asked you a question the last time you were on IslamOnline and I think you misunderstood my question. Do I have to do istinja’ before I do wudu’ if regular non-sexual discharge comes out of me? What about if it comes out during prayer? Can I just wipe it off with paper instead? And do I have to change my clothes? Please reply because I don’t know what to do and your response will help ease my mind. Jazaka Allahu Khairan.
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Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Istinja’ is a requirement after urine or other kind of discharge. Whenever you feel that some liquid has come out, then istinja’ is required. One can do istinja’ with water or wiping three times with tissue paper or from absorbing material. If during the salah, one feels discharge of some liquid, the person should come out of salah and renew istinja’ as well as wudu’. But if it becomes a habit or a chronic problem for each salah, one istinja’ and one wudu’ will be sufficient. Allah would not like to make your life miserable by requiring you to repeat istinja’ and wudu’several times for each daily prayer.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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Irina
- United States
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Student
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Dear scholar, please help me to solve my problem. I converted to islam three years ago, and I consider myself new to the religion. My husband was born muslim, and he tries to follow the faith as strict as possible. We have two year old daughter and I have a 7 year old girl from aprevious marriage. Now the problem is that I am not ready go give up everything I used to practice prior Islam, and my husband wants to divorce me because of it. For example, I do not see any harm in my kids having a birthday party, I do not make a 'aid out of it, but I do not see why I can not celebrate the day when Allah praised me with my kids. Of course there is no alcohol, nothing forbiding, but why I can not say, that I am inviting my daugthter friends to her birthday? I do not see logic in it. I know that someone here said that it does not make sence to celebrate one year out of person's life, although, to my best knowledge, the ultumate goal for any muslim to enter a paradise, and a year out of your life will bring one closer to that point, isn't it? Please help me to save my family, I feel like I am being pushed to eat a piece, that I am not ready to eat yet. I thought, that Islam is an easy religion, and no one can be pushed into it, or forced to do something. I feel that when I mentaly reach the point when I am ready to give up some things from my past, which is nothing horrible, that is when it should happen. Am I correct?
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In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
The issue of celebrating birthdays is a little controversial among the Muslim jurists. Some declare it disliked or illegal because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or any of the righteous predecessors did not celebrate it. The other group of scholars permit it as something which is part and parcel of western customs and intrinsic part of American lifestyle. To them custom of Arabs and other localities where Islam went played a vital role in the juristic rulings adopted by the Muslim jurists in those areas. Therefore, to those contemporary jurists celebrating birthdays or following some of the other western customs which are not in opposition to Qur’anic verses or Prophetic injunctions, are Ok to be observed. This is not a matter of life and death and it should not culminate into a divorce or you and your husband should talk about it and decide between yourself on the basis of give and take. There are kids involved and their future and well-being are more important than observance or non-observance of customs like birthdays.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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Anonymous
- Barbados
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Housewife
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Is it forbidden to cut your nails or trim your hair in the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah? Please answer based on the Hanafi Madhhab.
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In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) “if one of you intends to sacrifice an animal on the day of `Eid-ul-Adha, then he or she should stop cutting the hair and the nails". Imam Malik, Imam Ahmad, and Imam Shafi`e in one of his opinions, strictly follow this hadith and forbid cutting the nail or hair during the first ten days of the month of Dhul-hijjah. The Hanafi School declares it as Sunnah Mu’akkadah and highly recommend that a Muslim holds off cutting the nail and hair and to do so after sacrificing the animal so that the hair and the nail are counted as hasanat (good deeds) along with the hair of the sacrificial animal. But it is not haram to cut the hair or the nail; it is recommended to achieve additional good deeds.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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Faiz
- Ireland
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STUDENT
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As-Salamu`alaykum, I want to know that aftergoing to purification and after sometime like while praying if we got few drops of urine onto the underwear, what do we have to do?
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Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
According to the Hanafi School, if the size is like a penny or bigger than that, then the person should wash that portion of the underwear. If smaller than that, then the person should complete the salah one has engaged in and then wash that portion before the next salah. A person can judge this by feeling his underwear with the finger. But according to other Schools, any amount of urine requires renewal of wudu’ and purification of the underwear.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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Zainab75
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I have married in 2006, and he started displaying a lot of anger within 2 months of our marriage. Anything would bother him and, it didn't even matter what I said, I was annoying and at fault. We never agreed on a Mahr, and after marriage he angrily did not want to give me anything and...to avoid conflict I said OK, I want nothing...but this inevitable stayed inside me as...if he is not willing to give any Mahr, he has decided to already divorce. Now, the problems increased, it became pretty abusive..and he divorced me in anger. But, he kept on coming back and I allowed him to be with me..as my first marriage, I did not want to give up on it. Also, I am a new convert so I felt once divorce goes through I would not have support of my family (I would be 1st divorcee in my family) Now I have accepted divorce, and going through it. But , he still disrespects me..and, sends message telling me how he is engaged physically with another woman and also, wants me in that sense. He has not signed the official divorce papers. In the process, of all this, he has defamed me telling people he is divorcing me because I go with many men, including the neighbor and even one of his friends. I feel this type of man should be punished, but then...At this point, what am I supposed to do? How to regain faith, this man did not want to share budget, nor gave me security, he has a son out of wedlock and made me feel so low because he would not put limits to the mother of the son (he once slept over her house!). I guess I am very depressed, from wanting a family I got a nightmare....my question is islamically we are divorced,ass per the US law we are not. How to cope with all this? Very bad for my Imaan.I have one more question in the case of his son, because he is out of wedlock (don't get me wrong I love the son) what type of relationship should he establish between his son, the mother, and a Muslim wife?
Thanks
Sallam
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In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
If you are Islamically divorced, and that divorce has not be revoked within the specified `Iddah period, then that divorce has taken place and you are no more his wife. He needs to renew the nikah to be able to have any physical contact with you, with new mahr if the divorce was not irrevocable, meaning not given thrice. It seems, and God knows best, that the husband is abusive and manipulating. You need to stop protecting your interest in demanding your Islamic rights.
When it comes to his son, you should treat him like a mother and also advise the son to be respectful to his biological mother.
When it comes to slandering and defaming you in the society, this is a grave sin. Allah has prescribed a serious punishment for such heinous crime. I hope and pray that Allah finds a solution to your problem.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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Oomar
- Mauritius
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Student
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As-Salamu`alaykum Brother, I am from Mauritius but I am currently living and working in Malaysia. Alhamdullilah to practice Islam here is very easy as it is described by some as an Islamic country. This is where I am a bit confused. I've been here for 3 years now and I've come to notice that it is not at all an Islamic country. What I mean is that the majority of the Muslim population are not practising Muslims. This is my question. What is an Islamic Country? Must it have practising Muslim, religious Muslims or must it only have a large Muslim population?
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Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Unfortunately many Muslims do not practice Islamic teachings in totality or in their pristine forms. That should not discourage you from practicing Islam by yourself. Each one of us will be responsible for his own deeds and nobody will be asked about others’ actions. Malaysia is a good Muslim country and there are many good Islamic values which are practiced there but still each Muslim society has their shortcomings. We should try to advise each other to practice Islamic teachings and discourage each other from following un-Islamic values and customs. But I will advise you to be patient and look into the good aspect of Malaysian society and appreciate the goodwill found everywhere.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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M'umina
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Can you please advise me on what kind of gossip is permissible. We do it so much and I regret it every time, but I can't help doing it. May Allah forgive our sins - my question is about normal backbiting and not slander (nameemah). May Allah reward you for helping us.
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In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
The definition of backbiting is whatever is done in the absence of a Muslim brother or sister and he or she dislikes it. So the gossip which will hurt the brother or sister or is disliked by him or her, is counted as sinful even if the mentioned defect or shortcoming is present in that person. It is really a widespread disease among us and we need to be very careful about it. One does not need to lose one’s hard earned good deeds just for the sake of temporary amusement.
Editor:
For further details, please refer to the following fatwa:
Islam Prohibits Backbiting
Cases Where Backbiting Is Permissible
Allah Almighty knows best.
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Anonymous Sister
- New Zealand (Aotearoa)
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Student
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As-Salamu`alaykum, thank you for providing this website for Muslims around the world. I have learned a great deal from this site and I am most grateful.
I am a young Muslim woman who is thinking of finding someone for marriage. I have one terrible concern that makes me very fearful of marriage however.
I understand that the husband is the head of a house and the Qur'an requires the wife to be obedient to him. I know Allah is most wise and this arrangement is conducive to better marital relationships.
However, I fear that a husband could abuse this power. Is a wife expected obey her husband if he makes hugely unreasonable demands? For example, could my husband prevent me from seeing my parents merely because he does not like them and not because of any solid Islamic reason?
Can a husband prevent you from stepping outside of the house? Are you required to obey him in this situation?
Can a husband dictate every facet of a marital life including where a couple live, whether they migrate, where they send their schools?
If women are required to obey to this extent, I don't think I can marry. I could potentially lose access to family, friends and work.
Where is the scope for mutual consultation?
How can I protect myself from such a situation? In a marriage contract?
Thank you so much for your time.
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Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Marriage is a bond of love, caring and sharing between two individuals. The husband is guardian, responsible to marriage and affairs of the household and not a dictator. The guardianship is an increased sense of responsibility and not a prelude to any superiority or authoritative position. The decisions are made based on mutual consultation and are implemented willingly by both parties. A husband cannot impose the un-ethical conditions such as not visiting the parents or other mentioned scenarios in your questions. To avoid such given consequences you should frankly talk about them before marriage and even put them as conditions in the marriage contract.
Editor:
For further details, please refer to the following fatwa:
Scope of Men's Guardianship over Women
Allah Almighty knows best.
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Ali
- United Kingdom
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Student
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My friend has raised the following question, he needs fatwa in this regard: My Muslim friend loved a Muslim girl for 2 years, then it happened that she got married to somebody else, now it's not possible for him to marry her anymore. But his question is, can he ask du`a' that he should get her as his wife in the HEREAFTER and he can't forget his past relationship with her, even though he understands that she is sister-in-Islam for him as she got married to somebody. Could you also tell how should he keep contacts with her in the future?
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In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
He should make du`a' that Allah bless him with patience and grant him an alternate to make him forget his past. She is now married to another person, and he should avoid having contacts with her as doing so will keep on reminding him of his past experience. If he really loves her he should leave her alone and let her work on her marriage; actually pursuing her or contacting her could jeopardise her happiness in marriage and he should avoid doing so at all costs.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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muslima
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confused
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As-Salamu`alaykum, this is an embarrassing question but exactly which part of a woman's private part needs to be washed when doing istinja' or ghusl? I don't know how much I should wash and will appreciate your reply so that this issue is clarified for me.
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Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
As you know there are three parts which converge in the vagina: one is connected with the urinary tract, the other with the womb, and the third with the sexual passage. The Muslim is required to wash what comes out from either the sexual organ or from the urinary tract. This means that the entire portion of the personal part should be washed during istinja'.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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Taqwa
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Dear Scholar, is it permissible to pray with make-up on? You know because in many cases we are not sure if our make-up contains animal fat. I heard it was haram (forbidden) to wear make-up that contains pig fat, but how do we know? So many of the ingredients are just words that you can't even find in the dictionary. Please advise. Thanks Jazaka Allahu khairan.
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In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
It is not haram to make the salah with make-up that you put after you made wudu'. It would not be haram to do salah while having the making which you are not sure is from a haram fat. But as a Muslimah, you should be taking enough precautions to avoid putting on your face something made out of haram ingredients like pig’s fat.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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A
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This Question is with regards to the use of gelatin in nutritional supplements... In my previous experiences, I have overcome illness with correct nutritional support and other 'natural' alternatives to obtaining health and wellness Alhamdulillah. This is very a different approach from mainstream medicine because it is usually not evident until /for a few weeks if something is working well. Also, discontinuation of a particular supplement or course of treatment with something inferior may not cause death but it is very possible that one could feel poorly form the result of it or could get a recurrence of a symptom. It is very possible. With that in mind, I DO have a few regular supplements, which are made from Gelatin of an unknown origin(Possibly haram animal source) These are also some of the best products that I could find, and the scenario which I have described above applies to me in this instance. Although, there ARE some alternatives available they are not really suitable due to the fact that I don't think that they are strong enough to use as of yet. I am still in recovery phase and the 'alternatives' are not really suitable as they will not be supportive enough... On the same note, With regards to something called a glandular extract. This I found works Quite well for other issues but is usually obtained from animal(Bovine) Origin.. It is very likely that it not slaughtered in accordance with Shari`ah but has powerful healing properties in my experience. This situation of mine is similar to the one outlined previously but it is not as bad... I may be able to find something appropriate or similar or just as helpful but it will take some searching and it will take some time... The same or similar logic applies to a tincture which I have which is suspended in (medicinal) alcohol. Is this permissible?? Or would I have to seek out other means to help my health?
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In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
It is always good to use something where there is no doubt of haram or illegal nutrient in this supplement. But the way you described it, your situation seems to be a little peculiar. You are not sure whether the gelatin is taken from haram animal like pig or just from an animal which is not slaughtered according to Shari`ah law. I will suggest that you keep using your needed supplement and do research about the origin of that gelatin. If it is confirmed that it is from illegal sources, then looking for alternate lawful supplement is recommended, but don’t forget that many contemporary jurists allow the use of some chemical nutrients which lose their essence during the process of interaction with other chemical elements; therefore using your supplements will be quite permissible because the gelatin might lose its original properties during the process of manufacturing. But still, I will recommend that you look for alternate which could be helpful like the present supplement and beyond any doubt or suspension of produce from illegal substance.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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sister
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As-Salamu`alaykum, my question is: will Muslims remember the life of this world in Paradise? Will we be in our physical body? I have heard that souls that loved in paradise are people who love in this life. Can you please refer to it. Thanks.
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Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Yes, people of Paradise will remember their worldly existence and will thank Allah who replaced the trials and tribulations of this life with bliss of eternity. The majority of Muslim scholarship maintain that the resurrection will consist of both the physical and the spiritual existence of a human being, but the physical body will be quite different from the mortal physical existence which we presently enjoy. Before entering Paradise, the believers will be asked to take a path in the rivers which will be flowing out of Paradise. This path will revolutionize their physical existence into an eternal blissful existence. The reward is both for physical existence as well the spiritual existence because these types of existence participated in performing the acts of goodness.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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Editor
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In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Brothers and sisters, we are so sorry for not answering all your questions because the time is over. We apologize for any inconvenience. Do keep in touch. Join us in coming sessions.
Yours,
Islam Online Fatwa Editing Desk.
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| All Fatwas published on this website (Islamonline.net) represent the juristic views and opinions of eminent scholars and Muftis. They do not necessarily form a juristic approach upheld by this website. Click here to read Full Disclaimer. |
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